PARIS – LE PETIT CANARD

As I was planning our trip to Paris I asked Stephen what he wanted to do, this being his first time visiting the city. His reply was croissants and foie gras. With that in mind, I set out to research restaurants. In general when I’m travelling, I like to limit the number of reservations to 1 or 2 so that our schedule doesn’t feel too constrained. Once reservations are made, I like to bookmark a variety of restaurants in different neighbourhoods, which can be slotted into our itinerary depending on where we are when we get hungry. Lastly, having dinner options near our hotel is key, perfect for heading straight home after or fitting in an afternoon nap beforehand if need be.

Our first dinner in Paris was in response to Stephen’s foie gras request. Le Petit Canard was a cozy French restaurant located just blocks from either Pigalle or Saint-Georges metro station. We stopped by around 9pm, late for when we usually eat dinner but quite normal for Paris, and was seated right away. The restaurant only had about 10 tables, which quickly filled up after us. I loved how charming the space felt from the chili pepper table cloths to the collection of wooden duck figurines carefully balanced along a picture frame. Conversation hummed around us, there was a full wine glass by every hand, and the feel of comfort and happiness in the room was palpable.

I knew service in Paris could be a challenge and set my expectations for cold and aloof. Le Petit Canard was the exact opposite. Our server was friendly, warm, smiled a lot, and our food arrived quickly. An English menu was available and we had no language issues.

To start, Stephen and I ordered the Onion Soup and half a dozen Escargot. The soup, made with red wine, was thick and savoury with a thick layer of gooey melted cheese. Each plump snail was buried under a mound of butter and garlic. The texture was chewy but not rubbery and meaty.

On to the main event, a tasting plate of 3 types of Foie Gras. Duck shaped crostinis decorated the otherwise simple plate with a spoonful each of fig jam and caramelized onions. Usually when I eat foie gras, it’s been pan seared, and I really liked trying out the delicacy in its uncooked state. Each bite was just amazing. A touch of jam added sweetness and acidity to each bite, cutting through the pure richness and rounding out the flavour. With the foie gras tasting and starters, we decided to order only one main to split and chose the Duck Confit. Delicious. The duck was perfectly cooked and just fell off the bone.

Overall, dinner at Le Petit Canard was lovely. After a full day of running from one tourist attraction to another, the homey, delicious meal was the perfect note to end on.